Appliance for stropping or honing razor blades



June`23, 1953 w. H. CARTER ",Eru. 2,642,704

APPL'IANcE Fon smoppmc onlnoumc mzoa BLADES Filed oct. 27, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented June 23, 1953 l2,642,704 y APPLIANOE FOR STROPPING OR HONI'NG s ti RAZOR BLADES t l, William Henry Carter, Perry Barr, Birmingham,

and Allan William Blackwell 1 Birmingham, England Application october 27, 1945, Serial N'0' ^56f874- s In Great Britain August 12, 194s y i This invention relates to razor stropping or honing devices and it has -for its object a device or apparatus by whi-ch a lateral motionis im= parted to the blade in addition to a longitudinal7 motion; which successively presents to the stropping or honing surface the edges of doubleedged blades; which holdsthe blade at thecorrect angle relative to the stropping or honing surface while executing said motionsj which also sets the-blade properly; which has provision for taking up wear' so as to maintain the correct'angle; which incorporates a locating device for holding-theblade in such a manner that it'can adjust itself with-fV out constraint to the stropping or honing sur` face; which incorporates a holding device `ar"`-V5l5" ranged for convenient and' quick operation which has a relatively small number of, parts forprojviding the desiredV actions which has asimple to-and-fro motion of the hand moved actuating' part; which is so constructed as to have a long effective life; which can be manufactured `-rel a tively cheaply; and which is not liable to get out of order.

Reference may be had tothe ac cornpanyingfjy drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevationj' 25 Patch,"lirdington,

as the-primarycarriage. `upper horizontal limb 1 of `mernberl is shaped-to incorporate1- a cam member 8,' see Figure 4, and the hollow structure accommodates withinits interior the of an appliance in accordance with the invention@A Figure 2 is an elevation similar totFigurelf showing the rocking parts in positions alternative to those indicated in Figure y1. Figure 3 is a side elevation showingthelongitudinal movable carriage included in Figure l. Y Figure 4' is a plan view of Figure 1 withthe j upper plate and the`blade carrier removed.

Figure 5 is an end elevation atright angles toFigurel.y

Figure 6 is an elevation at right angle ure 3.

of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation o n lineBfB and Figure 9 is a plan View o`f.Figure`8, both looking in the direction of arrowV inwFigure. 1,.

In a convenient embodiment of the inilentio'ri i' the housing structure conveniently has the form of a rectangular section box with open ends','the

preferred construction including a base plate I, a channel section member 2 attached thereto, and a top plate 3 detachably connected to the said" member 2, the upper surface of which 1plate3.

either forms or is coated with the abrasive to constitute a honing or stropping surface or memn ber. The upright limbs 4 `of the channel section` member 2 are slotted longitudinally to form lower y guide rails 5 and upper guide rails 6 for-a longi- '55N tudinally movable carriage hereinafter described mechanisms for rmoving the primary carriage and a' secondary or lateral 'carriage mounted thereon.` The primary carriagel takes the form of al trolley'S, Figures 3 and 4,*supported on two lower transverse ,axles I0, 'I I, each Vof which' has `a grooved roller *I2 ateach end, with' the side portions of the'trolley frame *connectedl by a trans-7v verse limb I3. v4A' convenientway of building thej; primary and secondary carriagesis 'by assemr`r bling? together two channel' sectipn-^piec`es one off which, i." e.v of Athe primaryjcarrage, carries the f axles" ID, II asdes'crib'ed"'whilethe transverse limb' of the other piece, Li; e., Offthe secondary carriage' I4 has y its lparallel limbsiIB up-t'urnedgj to vform anchorages for "therpivotskl I 6s-'of the articulated blade holder support Il". KTO avoidvup-and-down play rbetween the car^ riag'ej'S and itsguides, there are incorporated two other orupper transverse axles I8, I9 having-; their rollers 20 arranged to bearon the 'upper`- rails 'j li'fof `the guide in lolzipositioir` to Ythe irstjl named rollers I2 whichl travel along thelowerj rollergrailsl 5, 'the' several Yrollersj beingr spring-'` urgedyagainst theirrespectverails.; A conven-'f ient Way of carrying theupper axles I8, I Gis byf a pair` of axle 'supportsof channel shape one aft`` each end ofA the Icarriage in the form of allevelr 2| articulated at one endto the lower] sx1@ ro or yI'I and carryingrat its otheren'drth'e upper" axle I8` or I9. From the transverse limb of vthe lever depends "an abutment lug 22 to a position below Vthe lowerI axles* III-.I I, and betweenthe two depending lugs is introduced a coiled come pression spring 23 encircling' a longitudinal rod 24. j The reactivepressure of the compression spring urgesapartithe two lugs and thus transf mits,l an upwardly-acting pressure f to the upperr axles iB -I Btc' resiliently biasor hold their rollers 20 against'the"upper guide'rails`6, and by reaction an equal pressure but in a downwarddirection to the lower axles I -II -to' similarly hold their rollers-l2 against the lower guide rails'.r To entrance stabiuty of thencarriagathe wheel and v4sustained inhibition of rattle.

j'lfh'e'v secondary or' lateraljcarria'ge I 4 which partis trieiartiniated biadehplder may colnsist of transverse'member or'limbl 4 up-'turned 'at its two the opposite edges of the sinuous cam'- member' 8' The camV to avoid backlash and take up Wear. member 8 held static or stationaryY with. the housing including base plate Imember 2 and top plate 3 having the friction honing or stropping surface or member, has anumber of hills and valleys or a pair of opposite' serieszof cams in longitudinal alignment to give or impart a certain number of equal oscillations or. toA and.

fro lateral motions to the blade holder and blade hereinafter described, for each longitudinal stroke of the primary orY main carriage 8.. The two series of cams are spaced so that one series is the complement of the other, andthe camsurfaces of one series are parallel to those of. the other to form a two-sided track for the. rollers 21 of the secondary carriage I4. Thus, apluralityof oscillations are imparted to the secondary carriage I4, blade holder andv blade along a rectilinear path of the fiat stropping or lioning surface, during the. movement. of the pri'- mary carriage 9 in. eitherA direction to effectively treat theedge or edges of the blade. With the object of a, simple construction, two ofthe rollersl are journally mounted at the twoend's of a lever 28` of the first order fulcrumed' at its middle 29 on the transverse limb ofv the lateral or secondary carriageV I4, av coiledv tension spring 30 Figure 4 being hooked at one. end to the forward arm 26 of the carriage andat the. other. to. one end of the lever 28.

The cam 8 isof any suitableconguration.but preferably has such a form as to 'produce a. lateral displacement of the blade holder of about. one-half of the normal safety. bladewidth, four.

times for each longitudinalv stroke of. theactu'at.- ing handle. cam is preferably of sinuous or zig-zag configure ation, the latter consisting of four. portionstwo inclined in one direction and twoinclinedlinthe..

otherdirection; such portions are parallelfsided,

joined to their neighbours by curved segments. to provide easy transition and reversal of lateral.

direction, and make an angleof about 40 with thev longitudinal carriage path.. Alternatively,` the cam contoursmay be continuousor sinuous Curves The blade holder support I.'I, Figures` 1, Bland. 9,.

is conveniently of channel configuration ar.- ranged with its transverse limb 3I about` the stropping or honing surface and it'stwoparallel limbs` 32 extending downwardly to turn about.

the axes of fulcra I6 on the lateral carriage I4 when the blade is rocked at the ends. of, its'.

longitudinal stroke through the agency ofthe actuating handle 33.

er level than the blade holder. Theseftwov levers4 As adumbrated hereinbefore,. the.

Upon the upperv surfaceof the transverse limb 3| is supported. the blade.

4 34 limit the rocking movement; of the blade holder I1 and consequently the pressure applied to the blade edges, by stops 36, 31 at the ends of the levers arranged to abut from below respectively against the forward and rear upper axles I8, I9 ofA thelongitudinal carriage 9, the rocking motion of the leversbeing transmitted to the blade holder support by a pin 38 extending laterally from the levers and of such length as to maintain engagement with slots 39 in the lower ends of thev depending limbs 32 at the ends of transverse limb 3| of the blade holder support I1 for the'. full extent of the lateral movement. In thisfmanner., reversal of the direction of the manual pressureV applied to the rectilinearlymoving handle produces rstly a rocking of the blade 40" to a position where the edge is presented at the correct and precise angle to the stropping or honing surface of top plate 3, and

successively the stropping or honing motion thereof.

Any appropriate means may be4 incorporated for securing the bladein position on its support. Onevsuch means illustrated in Figures 8v and 9 consists-of a resilient arm 4I hinged at one end 42 to the. transverse limb 3I of the support I1, and a self-acting detent 43 engaging a latching recess in the opposite limb 32 for retaining. the. arm in working position. For a two-edged blade, two upstanding pins. 44 in the transverse limb 3| engage two. outer holes in the arm 4I and blade 40,- and the middle hole in the blade i's.

located by a spheroidal projection 45 on. the underside of the resilient arm 4IA so that the.

. blade has a restricted amount of freedomto seat and set itself on the stropping` or honing surface.

HavingY thus described our. invention, what we. claim is:

1. Appliance for. sharpeningV razor blades in.- cluding a frame having at its upper part two laterally-spaced'upright limbs and an upper part, an abrasive surface on the upper part', two longitudinal guide rails one above the other on each of said limbs.. a roller-mountedv carriage supporting a blade carrier. and traversible along saidv rails,.a pair of. longitudinally-spaced rollers for each guide, and spring means for pressing the several rollers against their respective guide rails.

2i Appliance according to claimY 1 in which the upper rollers are mounted on levers ofthe first order fulcrumed on the carriage, the limbs of the levers remote from the rollers being pressedv apart by resilient means.

3. Appliance according to claim l having a second` carriage movable laterally on the longitudinally-movable carriage, a static cam of4 sinuous configuration, and three rollers on the second carriage two of which are in contact with one edge of the cam and one in contact; with the other edge of theL cam, said rollers being resiliently pressed into contact with the cam edges.

4^. Appliance for sharpening razor blades including a supportliaving a static abrasive surface, a member slidable longitudinally on said support, a second. member movable laterally on the first member, a vblade carrier rockably carried by said'second'member, an operating handle. for reciprocating the first member, fixed means on said support for impar-.ting a plurality of lateral oscillatory movements invopposite divergent, directions to thesecond member by-re ciprocation of the rst member` during movement thereof in each direction and means connectingV said vhandle'iwith theablade cairierfetor-:rokthe latter in alt ate;i Actions. att e end of successive strokes'f the handle,v said means including apair of levers of equal length fulcrumed'on the iirst member to carry the operatinigiwhafndle, and stops on -suchmember positioned td limit'the rocking-movement of the levers; andfthenf to transmit reciprocating movement of the'fhandle to the rst member. f f' 5. Appliance for sharpening v'razor blades includinga channel-section housing structure vincorporating upright side-limbsslotted longitudinally to form guide rails and an upper transverse part having anabrasivev surface, a member reciprocable on said railsa,sec,ond member movable laterally on the iirst member and provided with a bladev carrier,"and means for" effecting Vsuch lateral movement of the Usecond'member during klongitudinal displacement oi 'thefgrst member relative to the abrasive surface 6. Appliance according to claim in which the means for effecting the lateral movement are enclosed within the housing structure.

'7. Appliance for sharpening double-edge razor blades including a frame having a stationary abrasive surface, a member slidable rectilinearly longitudinally on said frame in opposite directions with a plurality of interposed anti-friction means, means resiliently biasing said anti-friction means apart and into engagement with said frame, a transverse pivot carried by said member, a second member mounted on said pivot to be swingable longitudinally of said frame and in part movable laterally on the first member, and provided with a blade carrier, means coacting between the frame and second member for imparting a sinuous motion to the laterally movable part and blade carrier in a plurality of opposite oblique strokes during each longitudinal sliding motion of the rst member in either direction, and means operatively connected to the first member whereby it may be slid in either direction, and operative Ito swing the second member and blade Carrier together With a blade thereon in opposite directions to present the opposite edges of the blade toward and against the abrasive surface upon reversal of the direction of motion of the first member.

8. Appliance for sharpening double-edge razor blades including a frame having a stationary abrasive surface, a member slidable longitudinally of the frame and surface rectilinearly in opposite directions with a plurality of interposed anti-friction means, means resiliently biasing said anti-friction means apart and into engagement with said frame, a transverse pivot carried by said member, a second member swingable longitudinally and in part movable laterally on the first member, and provided with a blade carrier, means coacting between the frame and second member for imparting a sinuous motion to the laterally movable part and blade carrier in a plurality of criss-cross divergent angular motions simultaneously with the longitudinal motion in both directions, and means having limited movements on the slidable member for actuating the latter and acting lby pressure to swing the blade carrier and blade to opposite inclined positions at predetermined pressure away from the direction of sliding motion upon reversal of the latter.

9. Appliance for sharpening double-edge razor blades including a frame having a stationary abrasive surface, a member slidable longitudinally on said frame in opposite directions with a plurality of interposed opposed anti-friction 6 means, means 'resiliently biasing said anti-friction means apart and into engagement withfsaid frame,va transverse pivot carried by 'said member, a second member mounted on said pivot to be-swingable longitudinally of said frame and in partmovable laterally on the rst member, and :provided with a blade carrier, means coactingbetween the frame andsecond member for imparting a sinuous motion to the laterally movable part land blade carrier in a plurality of reverse diagonal .strokes while moving longitudinally in both directions', ameinber pivoted on the rst memberand operatively engaged with the second memberto swing itin opposite directions upon reversing the directionofmovement of the rst member at each end thereof to tiltthe blade carrier and blade at. the correct'facet angle opposite to said direction of" movement, vand means to limit the .swinging of said pivotedy member ineitherdirecvtionofmovemenn i 10.V Appliance -fory sharpening razorlb1adesincludinga framehaving an upper partiwithtwo a carriage supporting a blade carrier and traversable along said rails by longitudinal movement, a pairof longitudinally-spaced contacts for each guide rail, and spring means for pressingthe several contacts against their respective guide `rails some in opposition to others.

11. Appliance according to claiml 10 in `which the upper contacts are mounted on levers of the first order fulcrumed on the carriage, the limbs of the levers remote from the ycontacts being pressed apart Iby resilient means.

12. Appliance according to claim 10, having a second carriage movable laterally onv the longitudinally-movable carriage, a static cam of sinuous configuration, and three contacts on the second carriage two of which are in contact with one edge of the cam and one in contact with the other edge of the cam, said contacts on the second carriage being resiliently pressed into contact with the cam edges certain thereof in opposition to others.

13. Appliance for sharpening razor blades including a support having an abrasive surface, a

member slidable longitudinally thereof, a second handle for reciprocating the rst member, a pair i of levers fulcrumed on the first member, and on which the handle is mounted, a pair of levers fulcrumed on the second member and on which the blade vcarrier is mounted, means for imparting lateral movement to the second member by reciprocation of the first member, and means connecting said handle with the blade carrier to rock the latter in alternate directions at the end of successive strokes of the handle, rocking movement of the handle levers being communicated to the blade carrier levers by means which allow lateral movement of the second member relative to the rst member.

14. Appliance for sharpening razor blades including a frame, a member vfixed onsaid frame and having an abrasive surface thereon,` a carriage slidable in a rectilinear path on theframe longitudinally of said surface, a second carriage laterally yslidable on the first carriage and provided with a blade carrier, and a static cam of sinuous configuration fixed longitudinally of the frame and provided with a plural series of continuous oppositely acting cam portions arranged 7, tamove the second;carriageandLblade carrieltlat'- erally. a. pluralityotltimes in: each. ofJ opposite dvement'. diagonal'. directions duringi each. on its opposite longitudinalY displacements,v in. a rectilinear. path,. said". secondicarriage having continuous contact;withaizhe cam at threertriangularlyspacedipositions: at least. one. of which opposes the others located at likev pointson. the cam..

15.'. Appliance for sharpening; razor :blades including a. support havingiastatic abrasive; surface a. memberi slidable longitudinally on: said support,` av second: member; movable laterally; on the rst member, ablade carrier'rockably carried byy said.second member, an operating handleifor reciprocating the rstmember, xed means on said support. for imparting al plurality o!A lateral oscillatory movementsl in' opposite'. divergent; directions to; the second member by.l reciprocation vof the. first;v membervr during.: movement; thereof. in

Cited in theme of this" patent' UNITED STATES: PATENTS Number.

Number` each direction, and means connecting said handle Namev Date Drake Nov. 30, 1886 ChristyA A .Mar. l, 1892 Palmer Dec. 12,1899 Alfano June 28, 1910 Bursch Mar. 17.1914 Waldheim Nov- 12, 1918 Ipsen' Feb. 2, 1926 BreauxA June 17,1930 Murrin Apr. 24; 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Aug. 13, 1935 Great" Britain Oct'. ll, 1928 Germany May 23, 1923 YGermany Nov. 30, 1939 

